Consumer value and disability services: The impact of increased autonomy (ARC Linkage Project administered by University of Wollongong) (2016-2020)

In 2016 the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will start rolling out. Nearly half a million people with a disability will be able to choose disability services. But will the ability to choose improve service provision? This is our key question. The unique historic opportunity of the NDIS introduction offers a real world experimental setting. We will test (1) changes in objective and perceived consumer value pre-NDIS and post-NDIS and (2) differences in how market segments utilise their autonomy and whether this leads to differences in benefits gained from the NDIS. Findings contribute to our broader understanding of when free market mechanisms serve the needs of their citizens better than traditional means of government support.